Picture-frame



(No Model.)

J. A. BOWER.

PICTURE FRAME.

No. 578,200. Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

n4: gowns rz'rzns cu, PNOYO-LITMQ. WASHINGTON a c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. BOWER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIQTU RE-FRAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,200, dated March 2, 1897.

Application filed November 5, 1896. Serial No. 611,095- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. BOWER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture-Frames, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to knockdown picture-frames especially adapted for the display of show-cards or advertisingpictures and so constructed that they can be readily taken apart and packed in a small space for mailing or shipment; and the objects of my invention are to construct inexpensive picture-frames of that class having miter-joints in which the sheet metal of the side pieces adjoining said miter-joint (which would ordi narily be cut out to form said joint) is bent up rearwardly and used as a member of the interlocked connection between said side pieces. I attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of one corner of a sheet-metal frame, showing the corners of each side piece bent over adjacent to the miter-joint and connected together in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of one corner of a frame having sides of wood provided with sheetmetal additions having the corners bent over adjacent to the miter-joint and connected together, asin Fig. 1, and is a slight modification thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of 'the removable clamp to connect together the sides of the miter-joint. Fig. at is a perspective View of one of the mitered ends of the sheetmetal frame shown' in Fig. 1 as it appears before bending down its triangular end. Fig. 5 is a rear perspective View of a modification of one corner of a sheet-metal frame having the corners of each side piece bent adjacent to the miter-joint and clamped together by interlocking the tongues obtained from the triangular piece of metal adjacent to the miter-joint. Fig. 5 represents as disconnected the two sides of the corner shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 00 0c of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a rear perspective view of a modification of one corner of a sheetmetal frame having the corners of each side piece bent adjacent to the miter-joint and clamped together by interlocking the tongues obtained from the triangular piece of metal adjacent to the miter-joint. Fig. 7 represents the two sides of the corner shown in Fig. 7 disconnected.

In Figs. 1 and at of said drawings, B represents a narrow strip of sheet metal bent lengthwise and folded upon itself, but not tightly, to obtain within its fold a receptacle for one of the edges of a show-card or advertising-picture between the parts 2 and 3. The part 2 is intended for the back of the frame, and as it is the part that has its ends interlocked it is preferably made wider than the front part 3, that has its end tcut at an angle of forty-five degrees to its -sideviz., a miter out. The back 2 of the frame has not its end cut at an angle of forty-five degrees, but only bent outwardly at said angle, as shown at 5, and a triangular piece 6 of sheet metal is left on the end of the back 2 to be interlocked with a similar triangular piece 6 on the abutting end of another side of the frame. Various means can be used for interlocking the triangular pieces 6, that are ordinarily cut out and wasted in producing miter-joints.

In Fig. 1 the triangular pieces 6, and consequently the ends of the sides of the frame, are firmly united together by means of a removable clamp 7, which consists of a small rectangular piece of sheet metal having centrally therein a slot 8, extending about half of its length to straddle the pieces 6 in their miter-bent portions 5. The triangular pieces 6 are bent down parallel with the back 2 and rest upon the clamp 7, but the non-slotted end of said clamp is preferably bent outwardly to facilitate its introduction or removal in connection with the sides of the frame.

In the corner of the frame shown in Fig. 2 the sides of the frame consist of grooved strips of wood 3, that are mitered as the parts 3 in Figs. 1 and 1. To the back of the strips 3 are tacked short strips of sheet metal 2, having one end bent diagonally to produce a'miter-joint, and the triangular pieces 6, that are clamped together by the movable clamp 7, exactly as in Fig. 1 and as hereinbefore described.

In Fig. 5 the sides of the frame are of folded strips of sheet metal 0 and C One end of each strip is bent up diagonally to produce a mitered joint on the line 5. Ihe strip 0 is cut a portion of its length on said line 5 to obtain two triangular tongues 9 along the ends of said line 5 and a central rectangular portion 10. The strip 0 is also cut a portion of its length on the line 5, but its central portion is retained to obtain a rectangular portion provided with a tongue 12. To unite..together the strips 0 C their tongues are bent on the line 5 at right angles to their rear faces and brought in close contact. The end of the tongue 12 is then bent upon the edge of the portion 10, and the two tongues 9 are bent to clasp the sides of the rectangular portion of the tongue 12, the interlocking of said tongues obtained from the metal at the mitered ends of the strips 0 C firmly retaining said strips united. Said fastening is also shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. '7 the sheet-metal sides D D of the frame are also united by means of tongues on their ends, as shown at 13 on the end of the side strip D and at it on the end of the side strip D that are first bent on the miterline 5 and their ends made to interlock each other. i

In each of the above-described modifications the miter-joint on the front side of the frame can be covered by a small ornamental block of wood or of metal, if desired.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim-- 1. A frame consisting of a series of side pieces, each having a front and rear part, the front part of each piece terminating in a diagonal or miter cut, and the rear part having triangular portions of each end bent up rear- Wardly of said rear part to constitute a member to unite it to the bent end of another side piece substantially as described.

2. A frame consisting of a' series of side pieces, each having a front and rear part, the front part of each piece ending in a miter cut, and the rear part having each end bent rearwardly of said rear face upon a miterline parallel with the miter cut and the portions beyond said miter-line, clasped together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. BOWER.

Witnesses:

F. K. Ono, J. G. REED. 

